A Different Harry
by Bramble Iceweb
Summary: ON HOLD. When he was young, Harry was abandoned at a Muggle orphanage. Years later, the Wizarding World discovers the Boy Who Lived is gone. What happens when they find him at the age of fourteen? Future Cedric/Harry slash.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Petunia Dursley wrung her hands together, anxiety settling in the pit of her stomach. Her heart was pounding furiously**,** and she found it a little difficult to swallow. Vernon, her husband, noticed how nervous she was and took one of her hands in his meaty one. Her thin lips curled into a smile as she squeezed his hand. Vernon returned the gesture and kept his gaze on the road, driving one-handedly. Petunia couldn't help but look through the rear-view mirror.

In the back seat of the car, a young boy slept. His hair stuck out in all directions, looking much like a bird's nest. He had ivory**-**pale skin and a slightly chubby face. Hiding his bright emerald eyes were long, black eyelashes. Every time Petunia looked at him, she was reminded of _them_. Her eyes watered slightly and she looked away from the boy, scowling. Vernon pulled to the side of the road near a rather large building, looking at it with indifference. Petunia breathed deeply and stepped out of the car, willing her hands to stop shaking. Opening the rear passenger door, she started to wake the boy up.

"Aunt Petunia?" he murmured sleepily, opening his eyes.

"Get up, boy," she said quietly, holding onto his hand. She led him out of the car and up the steps to the tall, oak door of the building. A square, golden plaque at the side of the door read, 'Orphanage for Boys, since 1864.' Petunia scowled at the sign that reminded her of what she was about to do. Her knuckles rapped on the door sharply and in just a few minutes, the door opened and a middle-aged woman stepped out, dressed in a robe.

"May I help you?" she asked, obviously surprised to see company so late at night.

"Here," Petunia said stiffly, handing the woman the small boy in her hand."We can't care for him anymore. His name is Harry Potter; please find a good home for him."

Petunia turned and started walking down the steps when a hand stopped her.

"Ma'am, you can't just leave your son here! You have to sign paperwork, give up your righ—" the woman started.

"He," Petunia interrupted, practically snarling, "is _**not**_ my son!"

"Aunt Petunia, please don't leave me here!" the small boy cried, now aware of what was happening. "I promise I'll be good!"

Petunia ignored both her nephew and the woman's cries and hurried into the car. Vernon immediately drove away. He placed his hand on Petunia's knee, squeezing it reassuringly. She probably didn't realize she was crying.

"Jack, wake up," the woman at the orphanage hissed.

"Leave me alone, Lydia," Jack groaned. "'S late and I wanna sleep!"

"Jack, this is important! Some lady just left her nephew here!"

"Say what?" Jack sat up and looked at her incredulously.

"You heard me; this lady handed me her nephew, told me she couldn't take care of him, and left! She didn't even listen to the poor dear when he begged her not to leave him," Lydia explained sadly, frowning.

"Where is he?"

"In the waiting room; poor thing's still crying."

Jack wrapped himself in his own robe and hurried downstairs, careful to be quiet so the staff and children wouldn't wake. He saw the boy as soon as he went into the room**:** he had his knees to his chest and his shoulders were shaking. Jack's heart immediately went out to the boy as he walked towards him. He sat in the chair next to the boy, causing the child to look up and sniffle.

"Hi there," Jack said warmly.

"Hi," the boy responded hesitantly, looking at the man cautiously.

"My name is Jack Carpenter; what's yours?"

"Harry Potter. It's nice to meet you," the boy replied in a small voice, his eyes watering up. Jack's eyes widened. Harry Potter? As in the Boy-Who-Lived? The Savior of the Wizarding World? Why the hell was he just abandoned in a Muggle orphanage? Hiding his confusion and shock, Jack smiled at Harry.

"That's a very nice name," he commented, making Harry blush. "Say, Harry, would you like to be my friend?"

"I don't have any friends," Harry confessed, still blushing.

"I'd really like to be your friend," Jack pressed, offering the small boy a grin.

"Okay," Harry said, offering Jack his own grin**,** which the older man found absolutely adorable.

"Are you tired?"

Harry nodded his head, yawning slightly. "Yes, sir."

"Hey, I'm not that old! And we're friends; call me Jack. Now, Lydia here will show you where you can sleep and tomorrow morning, we'll have a nice talk, okay?"

Jack motioned for Lydia to come over from her place near the door and she smiled at Harry. Harry recognized her as the lady that Aunt Petunia gave him to and who told him to sit down when they came inside the orphanage. He smiled hesitantly and she returned it ten-fold. Lydia gently grabbed his hand and led him up the stairs. Jack watched them go and quickly walked over to the main office of the orphanage. He grabbed the phone and quickly punched in a number.

"Carpenter residence. Please explain to me why you're calling at 11:30 in the evening," a groggy voice demanded.

"Dad, it's Jack. Put mom on the phone."

"Jack? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Phil Carpenter asked, now very much awake. Jack smiled; even when he was a grown man, his father _still_ got worried about him.

"I'm fine, Dad. I need Mom for advice—magical advice," Jack said tiredly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Phil made a small noise of acknowledgment before giving the phone to his wife.

"Jack, what is it?"

"I have a situation and I need you to listen and give me some advice," he said into the phone.

"Alright, what is it?"

"Earlier today, about ten minutes ago, a little boy was left here. His aunt said she couldn't take care of him any longer and just left. Normally, we'd contact the authorities but there's a slight problem. The kid that was left here was Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived himself."

"Oh, dear," Emily Carpenter said, feeling a little light-headed. "The poor child; he must feel terrible."

"What do I do, Mom? I can't let him to a Muggle household; he'll need to be taught all about magic, you know. At the same time, I can't give him up to a Wizarding family. More than likely they'll be more concerned with upping their social status and smuggling the Potter fortune into their own Gringotts vaults."

"I can see why you need advice," Emily mused. "Well, you know I've always wanted grandchildren."

"Mom, you know I'm not ready for that," Jack said quietly. "That's why the engagement with Matt was called off."

"I know, dear, but just hear me out," Emily pleaded. "Just get to know the little one; spend time with him. If you still feel you aren't ready for a child after a week at the very least, your dad and I will take care of him."

Jack sighed inaudibly and rubbed his temples. "Fine. He'll stay with me for one week. I suggest getting a room prepared, though."

"Will you bring the little dear over tomorrow? I want to see him," Emily replied, choosing to ignore Jack's last statement.

"Yeah, sure. I'll bring him over for lunch. Thanks, mom. Goodnight," Jack said.

"Don't worry about it, dear. Get to bed; it's late."

Jack chuckled. "Yes, mom. I love you and I'll see you tomorrow."

Hanging up the phone, Jack sank into his chair. His heart ached with the thought of Matt, his ex-fiancé. Everything had been great between them. Matt was very accepting of him; he didn't care that his mom was a witch. Of course, he was surprised that magic had existed, but he accepted him. And, since he was a Muggle, he neither knew nor caredthat he was only a half-blood. He loved Jack all the same. The main problem was Matt wanted to adopt children and Jack wasn't quite ready for that.

Sure, he helped run this Muggle orphanage, but having a kid of your own was something _totally_ different. He was incredibly insecure about his own abilities as a parent and thus their engagement went spiraling downwards. Matt still visited the children every week, making it even harder on Jack to move on. Bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck, Jack sighed tiredly and stood up. He was going to go to bed; after all, his mom told him to, and mothers knew best.

A/N: A pretty short prologue, but the chapters will be longer. This will start pre-Hogwarts, so the first half (more or less) of this story will be dealing with Harry and his time at the orphanage. Please note that in canon, Harry does suffer neglect and some verbal abuse during his stay at the Dursleys. I'll be working with the effects of this and while Harry might seem kind of a whiner at first, please keep in mind that he's only a child and was told he was worthless for as long as he could remember. Oh, and this is also **pre-slash** and Harry is gonna be kind of flamboyant! The pairing will be Cedric/Harry…in due time, of course. There aren't enough stories with this pairing out there!

This chapter has been beta-ed by _**Syria2Padfoot**_. Much thanks~! 04.05.09


	2. Chapter One – Friends

Chapter One – Friends

_Jack yawned and stretched gingerly, snuggling deeper into his covers. He smiled when he felt two strong arms wrap around his frame tenderly. Every time Matt hugged him from behind, Jack couldn't stop the waves of lust and love coursing through his body. Gentle butterfly kisses were pressed on the side of his neck and he sighed happily before turning his head, allowing his other half to have more access. A deep chuckle from behind him had Jack shivering with want. Turning around, he placed a warm, loving kiss to Matt's very responsive lips._

"_Good morning, love," was the whispered greeting that had Jack's heart beating fast._

"_Mm, and a good morning it is," he replied, smiling. Matt hugged Jack close to him, breathing in the scent of his hair and his tantalizing skin. He couldn't get enough of the lovely addiction that was Jack Carpenter._

"_We have to get up," Matt said gently__,__ though he did not have the intention of letting Jack get out of bed so easily._

"_I don't wanna," Jack grumbled, pouting all the while. He looked into Matt's bright hazel eyes and practically melted—Merlin, he loved how those pools told him everything he wanted to know. "Don't make me leave."_

"_Poor baby," Matt cooed, molding Jack's body to his, inwardly marveling at how their bodies seemed to fit perfectly together like puzzle pieces. "You know I would love to keep you in bed all day," he waggled his eyebrows for emphasis__,__ causing Jack to laugh, "but we really do need to get up. The boys will be up soon and we wouldn't want them to not have their breakfast."_

_Jack sighed before nodding his head. He threw the covers off of them, shivering when the morning air hit his naked back __as he __attempted to get out of bed. A laugh escaped his lips as he tried to leave the bed again, but it was useless. Those warm, strong arms kept him in place while those sinfully delicious __lips – that__ he was oh-so attracted __to – resumed__ their post at his neck. Jack let out a small groan of contentment._

"_Matt, we really do need to get up," Jack said quietly, enjoying the treatment his lover was showing him._

"_Of course we do, love," Matt replied. "But, we do still have at least thirty extra minutes to ourselves."_

_Jack looked at Matt in surprise before he straddled his lover's hips. "Why didn't you say so before?" he purred__,__ before claiming Matt's lips with his own. He poured his heart and soul into the kiss, showing Matt how much he meant to him and how much he was cherished. The kiss was slow and sweet, though it was just as passionate as the one they had shared on their first date that fateful summer before his last year at Hogwarts._

_Still locked with Matt at the lips, Jack's hand blindly fumbled for the covers to pull up and over them. He had just grabbed the edges of them when a sniffle caught their attention. Instantly, Jack hopped off of Matt and turned to his doorway._

"_Harry!" he cried when he saw the crying boy. "Harry, what's wrong? Where does it hurt? What happened?"_

_Harry flung himself at Jack and cried hard. His small frame shook violently and the boy coughed and __choked__ on his tears more than once. Jack looked at Matt pleadingly and rubbed Harry's back. Matt easily wrapped his long arms around both Harry and Jack and led them towards the bed. When Harry was finally calm enough to talk, he twisted the hem of his shirt nervously and refused to look the older men in the eye._

"_I had a bad dream," the boy said softly, eyes watering once more. "It was so horrible."_

_Matt frowned lightly and gently grabbed Harry's chin, coercing the small child to look into his eyes. "What was it about, Harry?" he asked, his voice gentle and soothing._

_The tears that had welled up in Harry's eyes spilled over and when he spoke, a bit of hysteria crept into his voice. "I don't want to be alone!" he sobbed, shaking._

"_It's okay," Jack whispered comfortingly. "You won't be alone, Harry bear, you have us. We won't leave you alone; we're a family."_

"_But you might leave!" Harry cried, looking at Jack and Matt with such fear that both of their __hearts'__ clenched tightly. "What if you decide it was a mistake adopting me? What if you leave me at another orphanage?"_

"_That will never happen," Matt said vehemently. "Never. You are our son, Harry. We're a family and we will always be that way. Understand?"_

_Harry sniffled as his tears seemed to come to a stop and nodded his head. "Alright," he said, voice hoarse with crying._

_Matt gently pushed Harry so that he was __lying__ on the bed between him and Jack. He smiled softly when he noticed their other son standing at the doorway, rubbing his eyes and staring at them sleepily. Jack was quick to __hop up and carry him to the bed,__ where he immediately cuddled with Harry. It didn't take long for both boys to drift back into sleep and Matt stared lovingly at Jack who couldn't help but look at him the same way. They wrapped their hands around their boys and intertwined their fingers, easily falling into a deep slumber in the comfort of their family._

Jack awoke abruptly with a gasp, heart pounding furiously. His throat constricted and he brought his hand up to brush away the few lose tears that seemed to trickle down his face unbidden. Dreams about Matt always left him emotional, but never to this extent. Never had he dreamt of them together with children; no, his dreams with Matt merely consisted of either them together again and happy or Matt loving another, leaving him devastated. Jack took in deep breaths in an attempt to calm his still-racing heart. He was confused at what his dreams had implied. Despite his love for children, Jack knew he was definitely not ready to adopt one of his own. However, the dream told him differently.

Jack let out a small snort. One dream was not going to convince him that he was ready to take care of a child as a parent. No, he had more sense than that. Rushing into something that required such a commitment was foolish—something that Jack was not. After all, Jack was a Ravenclaw at Hogwarts. After spending a good portion of his morning pondering the dream and Harry Potter, Jack's mind was made up. As soon as the week was over, the orphaned Potter would most definitely end up with his parents. Jack was sure of it.

* * *

When Harry awoke, it was to excited whispers and muffled exclamations. He groggily got out of bed and, instinctively, grabbed his glasses that were on the bedside table. His vision instantly cleared when he put them on and Harry panicked when he noticed he was no longer in his cupboard under the stairs. It took only a few minutes for the memories of yesterday to come rushing back to him. Tears filled his eyes and he didn't bother to wipe away the few that cascaded down his cheeks. He knew Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't like him, but he never expected them to just leave him in some strange house with people he didn't know.

Harry's shoulders shook slightly. It was his own fault, really. If he had tried to suppress his freakish nature harder, maybe Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon would've seen that he wasn't a hopeless case; that he **_was _**savable. But it was too late now. They already left him and he knew they would never be back. Hugging himself, Harry looked around and noticed he was not alone. There were two other beds on the other side of the room, each holding somebody in it. Wiping away his tears, Harry couldn't help but let his curious nature take over. Taking deep breaths, Harry allowed himself to calm down and, with a small squeak of surprise, noticed somebody was grinning widely at him from across the room. The boy jumped out of his bed and bounded over to Harry happily. He had golden blond locks and hazel eyes. The boy was dressed in pajamas and had dimples on his face. The person in the other bed shuffled slightly, but remained under the covers.

"Hiya there! I'm Samuel, but you can just call me Sam. Everybody else does. You're new to the orphanage, aren't you?" the boy said brightly, looking at Harry with barely-suppressed joy. Harry flinched at the word 'orphanage' being thrown about so casually – Dudley had watched the movie _Annie_ and saw fit to show Harry how horrible an orphanage was, all the while taunting him about how he didn't have any parents and, therefore, was destined to end up in such a place – before he offered the boy a small, shy grin.

"Harry Potter," he mumbled, cheeks ablaze. A small feeling of hope settled in his stomach; before, while he was at the Dursleys, he hadn't been allowed to have any friends. Dudley made sure nobody at their primary school wanted to be around him for fear of facing Dudley's tantrums and that had made Harry a very lonely little boy. But now, this boy right here was talking to him and it seemed as if he wanted to. This was new to Harry, foreign even, and he felt incredibly shy and hesitant.

"Very nice to meet ya, Harry!" Sam exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Well, come on, then! We should go tell Lydia that you're awake!"

Harry looked puzzled for a moment before remembering Lydia was the kind lady that had taken him when... His good mood seemed to wither slightly and Harry once again felt tears forming. A part of him still couldn't grasp that he was left at an orphanage and desperately hoped his relatives would come back for him. He didn't want to believe that the Dursleys had been so quick to lose hope on him and just dumped him elsewhere. Sam seemed to notice Harry's change in demeanor and was quick to figure out why. He gave a small, sad smile and patted Harry gently on the back.

"Did your parents go to heaven, too?" he whispered, eyes wide and slightly glossy. "Is that why you're here?"

Harry sniffled. "I don't remember my parents much, but I lived with my aunt and uncle. Aunt Petunia said they died in a car crash."

Sam frowned confusedly. "Well, if you still have an aunt and uncle, why are you here? Shouldn't you be living with them?"

Harry tried to hold back the tears that sprung forth, but found he couldn't. "They didn't want me," he sobbed into his hands. "I tried to be good–honest!"

Sam's frown deepened and, with new resolve, he stomped out of the room. Harry's tears flew faster, thinking Sam probably didn't believe him and didn't want to be his friend anymore. That was not the case, however, when he heard Sam re-enter the room with Lydia in toll. The other boy was still frowning and even looked a little angry. Lydia placed a warm hand on the small of Harry's back, offering him comfort. Harry was a little uneasy; nobody had ever bothered with him before. Overwhelmed, he threw himself at her, wrapping his arms around her neck and sobbing into her shirt. Lydia whispered gentle, soothing words to him as she rubbed his back and rocked him back and forth. Eventually, Harry's tears subsided into hiccups and he buried his face into her shoulder, clearly embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, voice muffled. Harry found he liked the way Lydia smelled and was more than a little reluctant to pull away.

"Don't be, dear. It's perfectly natural to cry, you know," she said gently, smiling warmly at him. Harry found himself blushing even more. Sam was no longer frowning and looked quite happy now that Harry was no longer sad.

"Lydia, is he going to stay here in our room?" Sam asked hopefully, offering Lydia his best 'I'm-a-good-boy' look to appease her.

Lydia smiled down at Sam. "We'll see," she said, ruffling his hair when he looked crestfallen and disappointed. "Now go wake up Dean. It'll be time for breakfast, soon. And show Harry where to go, okay? I have to go speak with Jack."

Sam nodded his head dutifully and, as soon as Lydia left, ran over to the other bed. "Dean, get up! It's almost time for breakfast and the new boy is awake!"

Harry watched nervously, hoping the boy sleeping wouldn't be too mad at being woken up. Sam grinned as Dean's hand came from under the covers and tried to whack him off the bed. Eventually, seeing his attempts were in vain, Dean sighed and sat up. He had brown hair, brown skin, and brown eyes. Harry couldn't help but giggle at how disheveled he looked.

"I'm up, Sam," he whined. "Now stop it!"

Sam beamed at a very tired-looking Dean and made a gesture with his hands towards Harry. "Dean, this is Harry. He might stay with us!"

Dean looked at Harry and offered him a grin. "Hi," he said quietly.

"Hello," Harry mumbled back, feeling shy and insecure. He twisted the hem of his baggy shirt and stared at his feet, unsure of how to act.

"C'mon then," Sam said as he grabbed both Harry's and Dean's hand. "It's time for breakfast!"

Enthusiastically, Sam began to drag his two companions to the cafeteria. The hallways were now crowded with children of all colors and sizes. Harry felt himself shy away from the masses and cling tightly to his friend. Sam didn't seem to mind, or notice, and continued to lead Harry and Dean down a long hallway. Harry noticed there were paintings on the wall and even old photographs from when, Harry assumed, the orphanage was first founded. Eventually, after a couple of turns, the trio walked through double doors. Having never seen a room so big, Harry gaped. The cafeteria seemed to be enormous with the numerous long tables, long lines, and population of people. Sam let out a giggle as he noticed Harry's gaping mouth.

"You're going to love the food here, Harry! It's really tasty," Sam chirped, pulling Harry and Dean next to him. The blond boy tapped his foot impatiently, tummy grumbling. "This is taking forever!"

Dean rolled his eyes. "It's not so bad, Sam," he said softly.

Sam pouted. "Yes, it is. I haven't eaten anything since last night!"

Harry giggled quietly at Sam's whining. The trio didn't have to wait very long, though, as the line moved quickly. The smell of food hit Harry's nose and his tummy let out a ferocious growl, which surprised him; with everything that had happened to him within a few short hours, he hadn't expected himself to be so hungry. He bit his lip nervously; Harry had no idea how to go about collecting food. At the Dursleys, he had to wait until they were completely finished eating before he could, and when he did get to eat, there was normally rarely anything left. As if sensing his confusion, Sam led Harry through the process.

"Here ya go, Harry," Sam said brightly, passing the other boy a Styrofoam tray. "You'll need that to get your food."

Harry frowned slightly in confusion. How much food did they get to eat? Based off of what he ate at the Dursleys, he could've carried everything in his hands. Surely that was a pretty normal amount. Of course, Dudley always ate a lot more than Harry did, but Harry thought that was because Dudley was bigger than he was. Harry was also nervous about actually getting the food. When he was in primary school, Aunt Petunia had always packed him a lunch of bread and cheese, not wanting to pay for him to eat school lunch. He had absolutely no idea how the cafeteria system worked. Sam and Dean didn't really notice his plight and continued to walk down the line.

"What milk do you like, Harry?" Dean asked, looking at him expectantly.

Harry looked at him helplessly. "Huh?"

Dean picked up three cartons. "Regular, chocolate, or strawberry milk?"

"Oh!" Harry blushed, feeling quite stupid at the moment. "Regular is fine."

Dean smiled and put it on his tray. "Do you want juice, too?"

Harry shook his head. "I have my milk," he said, smiling shyly.

Dean shrugged and continued down the line. Harry followed him and Sam, still unsure of what to do. Thankfully, Sam and Dean were more than happy to help him, asking him which foods he liked and placing them on his tray. It was overwhelming, to say the least. It was a rare occurrence that somebody was hospitable enough to help him, but when Sam and Dean led him to a table with three other children, Harry felt himself go dizzy with anxiety and nervousness. He wasn't sure how to act around these kids and didn't want them to dislike him, so he opted for remaining quiet and picking at his breakfast, which was a simple muffin.

Sam made quick to introduce Harry to them, but Harry was too nervous to actually pay attention. His stomach was flopping all over the place and he slowly nibbled on the edge of his muffin. Harry's appetite had weakened considerably and he miserably grabbed his milk. Dean and Sam seemed to be happy to talk with their other friends and here Harry was, invisible and lonely. He was surely bothering them with his very presence, like he did at the Dursleys, and Harry was thinking about walking over to an empty table, not wanting to bother the happy group.

"Aren't you hungry, Harry?" Sam asked, frowning at Harry's basically untouched muffin.

Harry swallowed anxiously as all eyes turned on him. "Um, sort of."

"I told you the food here was good!" Sam pretended to be smug and let out an indignant squeak when Dean "accidentally" bumped him on the shoulder, causing him to drop the apple he was going to sink his teeth into. Harry laughed along with the rest of the table, feeling an invisible barrier of tension ease up a bit.

"It's alright," Harry admitted, taking an actual bite out of the muffin.

"Alright? Alright?!" Sam sounded and looked horrified. "This food is too tasty to just be 'alright'!"

Dean laughed. "You say that because all you think about is food!" he exclaimed, earning more laughter and nods of agreement from the table.

Harry smiled happily as he finished his breakfast. Though he was still nervous and unsure of himself, he felt better now that Sam and Dean joked around and made him feel like he belonged there. He had never really belonged anywhere before and Harry was a bit frightened at the prospect. It seemed like this was his only chance to really be normal and he didn't want to mess it up; he didn't want to lose his first friends. Sam and Dean were both so nice and helpful; Harry didn't know why they wanted to be friends with him of all people, but he figured they probably didn't know about his freakishness. Maybe if he could completely get rid of it before they found out, they'd stay his friends.

Friends.

Harry liked the sound of that.

A/N: Wow, I hadn't expected such a response. Imagine my surprise posting the story and finding seventy-eight e-mails the very next day. Thanks! It was a bit harder to portray Harry than I had anticipated, but I think he came out alright. I had to research the consequences of child neglect/verbal abuse and also how the British school system works (since I'm American and haven't got the foggiest idea) but I think I did an okay job on it. Also, for the record, the Sam and Dean in my story are not from _Supernatural_. I just realized the names were the same a good five minutes before finishing the chapter and thought to myself, "Well, I'll be damned." Haha. Also, I currently don't have a beta and won't actively look for one until I have at least five or so chapters up, so please feel free to point out any mistakes you see. Unfortunately, I can't catch all of them with my (very) poor eyesight.

Please review and let me know what you think.

This chapter has been betaed by **Syria2Padfoot**. Thanks to all her hard work~! 04.17.09


	3. Chapter Two – Discoveries and Decisions

Chapter Two – Discoveries and Decisions

Lydia Dale was a wonderful person. She had a heart of gold and loved all of the orphans at the orphanage unconditionally. Her caring, motherly nature resulted in many of the children confiding in her; she had the compassion of a million mothers and always seemed to know how to solve whatever problem came her way. That is, until Harry Potter was left in the orphanage's care. She knew the small boy was incredibly hurt by his aunt's actions, but she had a feeling that it was probably better that he was left here.

Lydia wasn't stupid—she recognized the signs. Watching as Harry ate his breakfast, she could tell by his actions and lack of interaction with peers his own age that his relatives failed to provide an acceptable environment for him. It angered Lydia that people could actually harm children—children of all people! They were small and defenseless, meant to be looked after with the utmost care and importance. A knock on the door startled Lydia to the point of snapping her pen in half; she looked surprised before remembering exactly what she had been doing.

"Come in," she called, tossing the useless writing utensil into the wastebasket beside her desk and dutifully cleaning up the ink droplets that fell on her desk. Jack cocked an eyebrow at her and shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't wanna know," he said as he shook his head. "What're you doing?"

"I was just making some notes," she mumbled, scribbling more things in her notepad with a new pen. "I'll have to question Harry soon."

Jack winced a little. "Ah," he said softly. "Do you want me to do it?"

Lydia smiled at his thoughtfulness. "I watched Harry eat his breakfast," she replied, not answering his question. "His clothes are too big, his hair is tangled and dirty, he's excessively shy, and he's very nervous."

Jack sucked in a breath. "Damn," he cursed angrily, glaring at the wall.

"Exactly." Lydia rubbed her forehead tiredly. "The interview needs to be conducted in order to determine if any other types of abuse took place in that household."

The man was silent for a while. "Do you want me to contact Desiree?"

Lydia sighed and nodded her head. "I think you'll have to."

Jack got up and was about to leave when he paused and turned back to Lydia. "Before I do that, I think you should know something," he said carefully. "It's about Harry."

Lydia blinked and narrowed her eyes at him slightly. "Oh? And what would that be?"

Jack sighed and took the seat in front of her desk. "It's a good thing you're sitting down," he mumbled. "I think you'd faint if you were standing up."

"Jack, what is it?" Lydia asked impatiently, cocking her head to the side as he bit his lip.

"You know how I'm…_different_…from other people, right?"

Lydia looked startled. "You mean about your…_magic_?" she whispered conspiratorially, as if expecting someone to appear. Had the situation not been serious, Jack would've laughed.

"Yeah. Well, I didn't tell you everything about my world," Jack said calmly, looking straight into Lydia's eyes. "You see, the main reason I left immediately after graduating from school was because we were in the middle of war. There was an incredibly evil wizard, the Dark Lord, and he wanted to…_purify_," he spat the word, "the Wizarding World by removing anyone with Muggle blood."

"And Muggles are people that can't do magic, right?" Lydia asked, listening to the story with rapt attention.

"Yes, and because my dad is a Muggle, that makes me a half-blood. I won't bore you with the Wizarding World's idiotic beliefs, but I will tell you that the Dark Lord had led a reign of terror, not unlike Hitler in Germany, that was only stopped on October 31, 1981—almost five years ago. He had tried to kill a family on the side of the Light that evening, but didn't manage to completely do that. The Dark Lord was able to successfully kill Lily and James Potter, but when he tried to kill Harry Potter, he was somehow defeated."

Lydia gasped, tears coming to her eyes. "Jack, you're not making sense," she whispered, horrified. "You're trying to say a child, _a child_, killed this Dark Lord of yours. That's impossible!"

Jack smiled sadly at Lydia. "I wish it were," he murmured. "But that's the truth. Because he was able to somehow get rid of the Dark Lord, he's known as the Boy Who Lived. The Wizarding World claims him to be their Savior, yet they know nothing about him. They've placed him on a pedestal and they have no fucking clue what he's even like! They worship him and they don't even know a damn thing about him!"

Jack stood up and paced angrily, his fists balled at his sides. Consumed by his own anger, Jack nearly tripped over his own feet when Lydia spoke. "They don't worship him; they worship an _image_," she said quietly, harshly. Jack would've been surprised at her cold tone had he not already known that she was fiercely protective of children. "This is terrible."

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "It is. But, can you see why I told you this?"

Lydia looked up in puzzlement. "What do you mean?"

"Surely you understand, knowing who this is, that he cannot be adopted by a Muggle family?" Jack replied before realizing how it sounded. He winced and waited for the backlash.

Sure enough, it came. "What are you trying to say, Jack?" Lydia spat angrily. "You out of all people know that we have to find the best family that'll suit Harry's needs! I don't care if it'll become _inconvenient_ for your stupid world!"

"That's not what I meant, Lydia," Jack said softly. "You know children mean the world to me."

"Then tell me what you mean, Jack! Explain it to me!"

"Yes, Harry is the Savior of our world, but more importantly, he's a _Wizard_. He needs to be taught magic and Wizarding customs. And, as much as you and I don't like it, as the Boy Who Lived, he will eventually be fighting the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters."

"You just said the Dark Lord is dead," Lydia protested, her face pale. "How can Harry fight that monster if he's dead?"

"Lydia, you said it yourself! It doesn't make sense that where loads of talented, experienced Wizards have fallen, a mere baby survives! The Wizarding World might be stupid and ignorant enough to assume the greatest threat to both of our kinds is gone for good, but I'm not. I think he's still out there somewhere and, mark my words, he _will_ return. And when he does, Harry needs to be ready for that."

Lydia fell silent. "So what're we going to do?" she said tiredly, dejectedly.

"Like I said, Harry can't be adopted by a Muggle family. However, he can't be adopted by a Wizarding one either."

Lydia's brow furrowed in thought and she frowned confusedly. Her head was hurting and aching from the revelations and she rubbed her temples in an attempt to fight the oncoming headache. "So…he can't be adopted by any family is what you're saying," she said finally, looking at Jack with a cocked eyebrow.

"Think about it, Lydia. He's the Savior of the Wizarding World, the Boy Who Lived, a _celebrity_. If he were adopted by a Wizarding family, do you really think they'll take his best interests at heart or will the majority of them be too concerned with influencing him to the wrong side or filling their pockets with the Potter fortune?"

Silence.

"Again, what're we going to do?" Lydia repeated slowly.

"My parents can take him in," Jack said quietly. "They'll be able to love him and provide for him while also teaching him about the Wizarding World and this one."

Lydia nodded in agreement before she asked the question Jack had hoped wouldn't spring into her head. "Why don't you do it?" she inquired curiously. "From my standpoint, you are also fully qualified for taking in Harry."

"Please, don't start," Jack pleaded. "My mom is enough, thanks."

"Knowing Emily, she probably made some sort of deal with you," Lydia said, giggling slightly. "'Fess up, what is it?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "She said if I didn't grow attached to him by the end of one week, she'll take him."

Lydia frowned. "One week isn't long enough to get to know someone," she said thoughtfully.

"Exactly why I agreed to it!" Jack retorted.

"You know," Lydia said softly, "you'd make a great dad. I know it, the kids know it; even Matt knew it. The only one that doubts you is yourself."

Jack turned away from her; she knew it was practically a taboo to talk about Matt unless he was actually there in the building and the fact that she brought him up to prove her point stung him. He sighed and shook his head. "By the end of the week, Harry will be safe and happy with my parents. You'll see," Jack promised.

They were silent before Lydia snorted. "Men," she groaned. "Pigheaded, stubborn fools. Can't live with them, can't live without them."

Jack cracked a smile. "You know you love me," he said sultrily, waggling his eyebrows.

Lydia gave a mock-gasp. "Mr. Carpenter, are you implying that my standards are low enough for me to hit on gay men?"

Jack's jaw dropped and his hand went to his chest. "Ouch," he whispered, sniffling pitifully.

Lydia rolled her eyes before standing up. "Come on, Jack. We have work to do," she said gently.

Jack sighed gently and nodded his head. "I'll go call Desiree. Or would you like to do that and I'll question Harry?"

"I think that'll be best for everyone involved," Lydia replied, smiling softly though her eyes held a sort of glint.

With a small sigh, Jack walked out of the office. He came back a moment later, slightly sheepish as he asked, "And where exactly is Harry at?"

"He's with Sam and Dean down the hall in room six," she said, shaking her head amusedly at him as she dialed Desiree's number.

"Thanks," he said quickly as he left. It took less than a minute to reach the room and when he did, he knocked on the doorframe as he walked inside. Sam and Dean looked up from where they were showing Harry a coloring book. "Hey, kiddos. Did you have a good breakfast?"

"Yes, we did, Jack!" Sam spoke for the group and offered him a blinding smile.

"That's good," he murmured gently. "Sorry, guys, but I need to speak with Harry, please."

Sam and Dean nodded, though a little sadly, and, seeing Harry fidget nervously, Sam leaned over and whispered loudly, "Don't worry; Jack is very nice."

Harry seemed to be slightly reassured and anxiously grabbed Jack's outstretched hand. Jack frowned a little when he noticed how clammy the small boy's hand felt. Gently, he led him to the Playroom.

This was where the orphanage conducted interviews with abused children. Having a degree in child psychology, Jack knew how to recognize signs of abuse in children. Sadly, out of all the children that were abandoned at the orphanage, at least twenty-seven percent of them were somehow abused. In order to make the necessary child abuse reports, Jack had to be certain that the child was actually abused. So, in order to subtly investigate suspicions, there were rooms designed for the child's comfort. There was also a hidden camera taping the interview so, if the suspicions were proven correct, there would be evidence to present to the authorities.

In the Playroom, there was a round table placed near the wall with a two-way mirror. There were children's books on a small bookshelf and a chest of toys in one corner of the room. Jack led Harry to the round table and gesture for him to sit. Grabbing a coloring book and crayons that lay atop the bookshelf, probably put there by Lydia, Jack smiled understandingly and placed them in front of Harry, who began twisting the hem of his baggy shirt.

"Do you like to color, Harry?" he asked, smiling disarmingly.

Harry looked at the coloring book before bringing his gaze to Jack. "Um...I don't know..." he mumbled lowly.

Jack made a motion with his hand. "Try it," he encouraged.

Harry bit his lip nervously and made a small mark in the book. When Jack didn't appear angry, Harry continued to color though he peered at Jack with cautious eyes in case it was a trick. Soon enough, however, Harry was coloring slightly more relaxed with his tongue sticking out in concentration as he attempted unsuccessfully to stay within the lines. Jack smiled gently at him before subtly taking in a deep breath.

"Harry," he said quietly, "can I ask you some questions?" Harry stopped coloring and looked at the man with no small amount of worry. "You don't have to answer," he added.

"Why?" Harry blurted out before nervously going back to coloring.

"Because I want to get to know you. You seem like a great kid and we're friends."

Harry gave him a look that was both disbelieving and nervous before shrugging his shoulders. "I guess so," he mumbled, making sure not to meet Jack's gaze.

"Who did you live with?" Jack asked, keeping his eyes trained on Harry's body movements and reactions.

Harry stiffened slightly and his eyes watered a little. "My aunt, uncle, and cousin," he whispered, nearly dropping the crayon.

"Were they nice to you?" Jack watched Harry sadly.

The small boy shrugged his shoulders, seemingly uncaring. "They treated me normally," Harry said softly, switching crayons.

"Did you like living with them?"

Harry looked at him with an odd expression on his face. "Why?"

Jack shrugged. "I remember wanting to pull my hair out when I was living with my parents. They cared too much sometimes."

Harry bit his lip slightly. "It was okay," he mumbled quietly. "I didn't feel like pulling my hair."

Jack laughed a little and smiled. "You must've gotten a lot of toys," he stated more than asked.

"No," Harry replied, shaking his head thoughtfully. "Dudley got toys."

"That doesn't seem very fair," Jack said, frowning slightly. "Why didn't you get any toys?"

Another shrug. "They didn't like me much," Harry said sadly, his lower lip trembling slightly.

"What?" Jack looked surprised. "But you're so nice, why wouldn't they like you?"

Harry shook his head vehemently. "I don't want to talk about it," he said stubbornly, glaring at the coloring book. "It doesn't matter."

Jack knew he hit a sensitive spot and instantly backed off. "Okay, we don't have to if you don't want to," he said softly. The silence between them was deafening until he broke it. "So, Harry, do you like magic?"

That, apparently, had been the wrong thing to say. Instantly, Harry shot out of his seat and looked at Jack in horror. "That's a bad word," he whispered as he trembled. "There's no such thing as magic! It's not real!"

Jack's jaw dropped. "Who told you that?" he asked incredulously.

Tears leaked out of Harry's eyes. "Aunt Petunia! She told me magic isn't real. Only freaks believe in magic," he wailed. "I'm not a freak!"

Jack swallowed thickly before slowly reaching out to touch Harry's shoulder. Harry let out an audible gulp and his body shook gently. "Of course you're not a freak, Harry," Jack said soothingly, looking Harry straight in the eye. "No, you're a good boy. Right?"

Harry nodded his head furiously, his tears slowing though his body continued shaking. "I'm a good boy," he whispered, more to himself than to Jack. "I'm not a freak."

Jack felt a tug at his heartstrings as he carefully and gently enveloped the boy into a hug. It was like a punch in the gut when Harry stiffened at the contact before relaxing and melting into the embrace. The boy sniffled a few more times and took shaky breaths. "Do you want to stop, Harry?" Jack asked quietly.

Harry nodded his head once more. "I don't want to talk anymore," he murmured. "I want to go back with Sam and Dean!"

Jack licked his lips and cleared his throat, having not trusted himself to speak without his voice breaking, and said gently, "Alright then. I'll take you back to them, okay? Would you like to take the coloring book with you?"

Harry pulled away from the embrace and rubbed his eyes. "I just want to go back with Sam and Dean."

Jack nodded his head sadly and picked the boy up, glancing meaningfully at the mirror where Lydia was surely behind. The silent trek to room number six calmed both of them down. Sam and Dean were tossing a blue ball when Harry got back and, upon the boy's arrival, beamed at him.

"Do you wanna play ball with us, Harry?" Sam asked happily, offering him a grin so wide it would've split his face in half.

Harry smiled shyly at him. "I, um, I don't know how," he whispered, wringing his hands together.

"That's okay," Dean replied smilingly. "We can show you!"

Jack watched as the two boys encouraged Harry successfully to join them. Realizing they had forgotten he was even there, Jack quietly left and walked back towards the playroom. He recalled Harry's violent reaction to the word 'magic' with horror and swallowed the lump in his throat. When he entered the door just next to the Playroom, he was met with a tight-lipped Lydia.

"You know," she said quietly, "I think leaving him here was the kindest thing those horrible relatives of his had ever done for the poor boy!"

Jack nodded, knowing she would rant and rave for a bit more. "It was," he agreed softly.

"Why heartless people like that are ever blessed with the joy of children is beyond me!" she spat angrily, pacing around the room. "And how nobody has recognized the signs of abuse, I cannot fathom. The child must've been to primary school—surely his teachers would've noticed something off about him! His clothes are too large, his hair is tangled, and he's excessively nervous and shy. These behaviors and situations are _not_ associated with proper child care!"

"He doesn't know about magic," Jack said hollowly, feeling as if he just landed in a very bad dream. "Those relatives of his not only denied him basic human needs, but also his heritage. They kept a part of him from himself; how can people do that? Do they not realize what they've done?"

Lydia stared at Jack for a while before taking a deep breath. "What do you mean?" she asked hesitantly, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

Jack looked at her with no small amount of worry or anger. "If a Wizard denies his magic, he denies himself. Rejecting your magic is basically signing a death warrant. Your magic will seek an escape and, when it can't find one, it will turn on you. It'll affect your innards, your vital organs, your immune systems; nothing inside your body will be safe until either you use your magic or it kills you."

Lydia attempted to swallow the lump in her throat. "What of children?" she choked out. "Surely children don't use magic."

"It's different for them," Jack replied. "Children normally release their magic without intending to, which is why it's called accidental magic. It normally happens during times of extreme emotion. Based on Harry's reaction, his Muggle relatives have probably told him that whenever he performs something a normal Muggle can't, levitating an object for example, that he was a freak. And, because he doesn't wish to be a freak, he tries to suppress his magic, though he probably doesn't know he has it. Children, however, have little to no control over their magic and so we don't have to worry about Harry denying himself until he's at least eleven, which is the age where children go to school to learn how to control it."

Lydia nodded her head thoughtfully, closing her eyes and calming herself. "Before we concern ourselves with that, we need to make sure that he will be alright otherwise." She held up a hand as Jack was about to interrupt her. "He may be a Wizard, but he's also a child and an abused and neglected one at that. Harry needs to know that he's not a freak and that he is a perfectly normal child. He needs the love and stability of a family. This is a slow, gradual process and when he is actually ready to learn what he is, then and _only_ then will we tell him."

Jack smiled as she crossed her arms and stared at him, silently daring him to protest. "I was going to tell you that I agree. It would be prudent to raise Harry like an ordinary kid and then slowly break the news of his Wizardry and celebrity status in our world. As the Boy Who Lived, much of his freedom will be revoked. He should live like a regular child and have fun before such a responsibility is thrust upon him. The Savior of the Wizarding World will have the weight of both worlds on his shoulders and a young boy will not be ready for that."

"I don't think anybody will be ready for that," Lydia admitted. She smiled a little sadly. "I'll help him, Jack. We won't be able to completely reverse the psychological damage his idiot relatives caused him, but we will make sure that child feels like the most loved one in either world!"

Jack gave a small laugh. "Sam and Dean are good for him," he murmured. "Sam's bubbly nature helps lure him out of his shell and Dean's calmer one helps ground them both. They make a good trio."

Lydia looked at him bemusedly. "You and Matt would be good for him, too," she said, her eyes teasing though her mouth had serious lines.

Jack frowned and shook his head. "It won't happen," he said stubbornly. "My parents will take good care of him, Lydia. Don't worry. I have to go call them now, as a matter of fact. They'd like to meet Harry, and who am I to stop a match made in heaven?"

Jack left, leaving Lydia standing there and shaking her head.

"He'd be good for you as well, Jack," she said softly, staring at the door where Jack had left. A sigh escaped her lips and she pondered the situation a bit more. If only there was something she could do to make Jack see that—

Lydia slowly smirked, an idea forming in her head. She laughed softly, knowing Jack would thank her in the long run. Without a second thought, she picked up the phone and dialed a familiar phone number, waiting impatiently for the receiver to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Matt, it's Lydia. Listen, I have an idea."

A/N: Sorry this is out kind of late. I had to take the ACT test, catch up on my makeup work at school, and I think I've found a beta after looking around. I know a lot of people aren't that accepting of slash fan fiction, but it got tiring after the seventh beta reader trying to find one that wouldn't mind reading it. Ugh. So, reviews are always welcome. I have an idea where this is going, so that may mean a steady update pattern. Now, to answer some questions/concerns you might have had. This part is quite long, so, yeah.

"It's great to see that Harry is fitting in, but I was crestfallen when you said that the story was going to concentrate on Harry before he went to Hogwarts (or at least half of it.) Since Harry and magic always seem to be together and magic and Hogwarts are like one well I wonder how you're going to do this. Harry will need to find out about the magic world soon and that'll take a bit of explaining so I'm expecting a longer chapter for that."

-I love J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter, but in her story, Harry was emotionally and verbally abused as well as neglected. Though it's quite exciting to be whisked away to a magical world where you're famous, Harry accepted that fact too easily in my opinion. He went through years of being told that he was a freak and worthless like his "drunk" parents. Despite knowing there were always strange, inexplicable happenings surrounding Harry's background, there should've been more denial that came with the knowledge of him being an entirely different being than just him saying, "I can't be a wizard. I'm Harry. Just Harry." But, that's my opinion and that's why I'll be focusing part of my story on his time before Hogwarts.

Yes, there WILL be a longer chapter where Jack (with the help of his mother, probably) will need to explain magic to Harry. It'll take a long time to convince Harry that he isn't a freak, that magic is perfectly normal for him, etc. And, just because Harry isn't going to Hogwarts right away does not mean that his magical education will be denied. He WILL be learning magic, I assure you. Considering that issue, that is all I'll be saying as I don't want to give too much away.

"Also, this last chapter seemed a little too short, I hope the next ones will be longer. Before I forget, another reason that I'm not too thrill about Harry not going to Hogwarts soon is that he won't met Cedric until then (that'll be the hardest part!) I hope that when Harry DOES go to Hogwarts he'll be catch up with all the other 4th years or past them, I mean he IS Harry Potter and Jack must be aware that Harry NEEDS to be good with magic."

-This chapter WAS too short, to my standards. I normally like to write a decent 5000 words (minimum) per chapter, but I'm trying to focus on laying down a foundation before jumping into the good stuff. Also, Jack IS aware of Harry's need to be extraordinary where magic is concerned. That's why he was reluctant to allow Harry to be adopted by a Muggle or a Wizarding family. Oh, and Cedric and Harry actually WILL meet before Harry goes to Hogwarts. I have that scene already planned in my head.

"I'm also wondering what house he'll be in, sure Harry is brave, but he's also smart, loyal, and cunning. Speaking of which, who are going to be his friends? Are you going to pair him up with Hermione and Ron AGAIN? I mean, they make a good group, but it's just so... obvious. Another question is, are you going to make Draco up to character, or are you going to change him? Their encounter (Harry and Draco's) will need a bit of describing so (again) the chapters need to be longer."

-I'm not so sure which House he will be in yet. I don't think he will be in Gryffindor, mostly because of the other qualities you've mentioned. It won't be a decision made by the readers, though; I'll decide and I already have a pretty good idea (even if I am still debating it in my head.) Also, he might be friends with Ron and Hermione, but they won't be BEST mates. Probably acquaintances. Because they didn't meet in first year and go through those trials that proved their bonds, they'll probably have semi-different personalities and, therefore, OOC.

As for Draco remaining in character, he's a Pureblood Slytherin. He will still hold those beliefs that his father placed in him, but he might be curious enough to step outside the House prejudices and try to understand Harry—without anybody knowing so he won't "ruin his reputation".

"I'm glad that Dumbledore won't be able to find Harry until 4th year because if you ask me I think he's a manipulative old man! It's better if Harry's able to grow up to 14 and be smart enough to realize when he's being used."

-I love Dumbledore, but he is, indeed, incredibly manipulative. I think he has good intentions, but, as they say, "The pathway to Hell is paved with good intentions." He's too concerned with the "greater good" to realize that it isn't right to sacrifice one person's well being for the sake of everybody else. Kind of like that idiot Neville Chamberlain giving Hitler Czechoslovakia so that there would be "everlasting world peace". And, well, look at how THAT turned out.

"And then there's Voldemort. What's going to happen to him? Is he going to make his first appearance when Harry comes into the picture? What about the rat? Did he escape Sirius?"

-I don't think Voldemort would've been resurrected with the Philosopher's stone, simply because without Harry Potter in Hogwarts, Dumbledore would have kept it safe. That would mean Quirrel is still alive with Voldemort still stuck to his head and, therefore, changing the whole resurrection process.

"P.S. Is Sam magical? I don't know why, but when you introduced him in the story he seemed very important. I got this from one, he was the one Harry saw first when he woke up two, you described him in such a way that... I don't know, it seemed to create such a good picture of him in our minds three, he seems to really like Harry (and the other way around) and four, in Jack's dream you mentioned TWO little boys."

-Unfortunately, Sam isn't magical. He is pretty important in the story, but only because he's Harry's first friend who is bubbly and caring--qualities Harry needs in a friend after a life full of neglect. He will be a catalyst in changing Harry's social development and will be one of the main reasons why Harry's personality while at Hogwarts will be the way it's gonna be. As for the second little boy in Jack's dream, he's also going to be pretty important in Harry's social development. Finishing where Sam stops, because all good things must come to an end, and becoming Harry's best friend for life. The other boy in Jack's dream WILL be magical and, therefore, can relate with Harry and connect with him on a different level than Jack or Matt could, mostly because he'll be a magical teenager Harry's own age.

"Is the Dean in your story Dean Thomas?"

-Yes. I had to put him in there, haha.

"Who is the other boy?"

-Not saying. I have to keep at least some surprises for later.

This chapter was betaed by **Syria2Padfoot**. Thanks for all her work~!


	4. Chapter Three – Matt Bentley

Chapter Three – Matt Bentley

Harry let out a tiny sigh of relief when Jack left the room. His heart had been pounding a mile a minute ever since the man had asked him questions. He bit his lip nervously as he recalled Jack's seemingly innocent question; maybe the man knew what a freak he was. This thought made his eyes burn with unbidden tears. The Dursleys leaving him here at this orphanage hurt; they had given up on him and knew him to be unworthy of love. But, here, they had no clue. A part of Harry felt bad for tricking such nice people into believing that he was a perfectly normal person, especially when he was anything but, but another, more desperate, part of him craved the affection these people were unconditionally giving to him. If they knew what he really was, then they would abandon him as well. No, Harry wouldn't let them find out. If Jack asked him questions about the 'm' word again, he would deny everything. He would not let himself be tricked into telling anyone about the freakish happenings prior to his being left at the orphanage. If it was the last thing he'd do, Harry would make sure that he really _was_ a completely normal boy before the really nice people at the orphanage could find out what he was.

Sam gave Harry a slight frown. "Are you okay?" the boy asked, cocking his head to the side.

Harry blushed slightly and nodded his head. "Yes," he said softly. "I'm okay. Just thinking."

Sam seemed to accept this answer. "Are you sure you don't wanna play anymore?" he asked as he and Dean kept tossing the ball to each other. "It's a lot of fun."

Harry bit his lip slightly, not wanting to make Sam sad or mad, but not really wanting to play catch and then shook his head. "No, thank you," he replied. "I just want to look at the pictures in this book."

Sam sighed and nodded his head. "If you're sure." Sam sounded dubious, as if he couldn't believe a boy wouldn't want to play catch.

"Yes, I am." Harry flipped through the pages of the book. "It looks good. And I like to read."

Dean glanced at Harry with interest. "Me, too," he said, beaming at Harry. "But, Sam over here doesn't like to much."

Sam let out a huff and pouted. "Reading is boring," he whined. "I don't like to read myself."

"No, Sam likes it when Lydia or Jack reads to him." Dean rolled his eyes before putting the ball down and walking over to the bookshelf that resided next to the door of the room. He tapped his foot as he carefully scanned the books with a sort of critical eye. "Aha!"

Harry looked at Dean curiously. "What is it?"

Sam saw the title and jumped up and down in delight. "Oh, oh, I'll go get Lydia!" he practically squealed, running out of the room.

Dean grinned at a confused Harry. "It's the book _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_! Have you ever read this?" he asked.

Harry shook his head. "No; I haven't even heard of it."

Dean looked a bit surprised before he shrugged his shoulders. "Well, Lydia normally reads this book to us when we ask. It's so cool! I think you'll like it!"

At that moment, Sam walked back into the room with a small pout. "Lydia can't," he said mournfully. "She's on the phone and whispering and acting weird and she shooed me out."

Dean and Sam appeared crestfallen by this news. Harry nervously wrung his hands on his shirt and bit his lip before stammering out, "Well, I can read it to you if you want."

The other two boys looked pensively at one another. "We could try it," Dean said softly.

Sam grinned and nodded his head rapidly. "Alright, but you have to act it out, too!"

Harry flushed slightly before agreeing. Dean handed him the book and all three boys settled on the floor against a wall. Harry licked his lips slightly and began to read, "This is a story about a boy called Charlie Bucket. There were six people in his family, but none of them were Charlie's brothers or sisters."

Soon, the time flew by. The boys got lost in the delightful world that is fiction and were thrust into Charlie Bucket's life. Time was forgotten as well as the real world and the three boys sat for what seemed like hours. Harry flushed every time he had to take on a female voice whenever a woman spoke, but it made Dean and Sam giggle happily, so he continued to do it. Before he knew it, Harry found himself smiling and laughing without a care in the world. By the time they had made it to the twelfth chapter, Lydia and Jack had been staying at the doorway for five minutes. The boys hadn't noticed, too absorbed into the book and new world.

Lydia cleared her throat, smiling warmly when the boys jumped slightly. "It's time for lunch," she said gently, her smile widening when the boys groaned.

"But, Lydia, Charlie found the golden ticket!" Sam protested.

"And Grandpa Joe is going to go with him to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory!" Dean exclaimed.

"Boys, you already know what happens," Lydia said softly, grinning at the groans of disappointment. She loved it when children took such an interest in a book. "Oh, you can return to your book when you've finished eating. You know how important it is to eat your meals."

Sam and Dean sighed in unison before nodding their heads. "Okay," they grumbled with a slight pout. "Come on, Harry."

"Actually," Jack cut in, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder only to remove it when he noticed the young boy tense up, "Harry will be coming with me."

Sam frowned and narrowed his eyes. "Why can't Harry come with us?" he asked, looking back and forth between Lydia and Jack.

Lydia let out a small chuckle. "Sam, surely you remember _your_ first meeting," she said, looking at him with an eyebrow cocked.

Sam's eyes widened and his mouth made a small 'o'. "Oh," he muttered, looking very sad before perking up. "Good luck, Harry!" He quickly whirled around and practically dragged an uneasy Dean.

Harry swallowed thickly before shyly and nervously asking, "What meeting?"

Lydia smiled down at Harry. "Well, Harry, here at the orphanage, there are meetings for children looking for families. The children and families meet, get to know each other over time, and then they decide if they like each other. If they do, then the children will get adopted. And if they don't, then the process will start all over."

Harry's heart jumped in his throat. "You want me to leave?" he whispered softly, lip trembling.

Lydia leaned down and lifted Harry's chin so he could look her in the eye. "No," she said gently. "At the orphanage, we want the children to be happy. We want them to have families and to be loved."

"But, I can stay here!" Harry protested, wringing his shirt in his hands. "I don't want to get adopted!"

Lydia gave him a small smile. "You don't have to leave if you don't want to," she said softly, using her finger to gently lift Harry's head so he could look her in the eye. "This first meeting happens to everybody in the orphanage; it's kind of like an experiment. Do you know what an experiment is, Harry?"

Harry bit his lip and shook his head. "No, ma'am."

"An experiment is like a test or an investigation. When you want to find something out, you can perform an experiment. We would like to see how the children in the orphanage respond and act when meeting a potential, or possible, family. Do you understand?"

Harry frowned before slowly nodding his head. "You want to see how I…am around families?" he asked more than stated.

Lydia smiled and nodded her head. "Yes."

"Will I have to be adopted after that?" he whispered.

"No," Lydia replied. "You don't have to get adopted, though most children want to."

Harry wrung his shirt in his hands again. "Do Sam and Dean want to? Get adopted, I mean."

Lydia gave him a contemplative look. "I think," she said slowly, "that they wouldn't _mind_ getting adopted. They're perfectly happy here in the orphanage, but I believe deep down everybody wants a family."

Something flashed in Harry's eyes and he sighed slightly. "So…what happens when the family and little boy or girl like each other?"

Lydia gave a small chuckle. "If they like each other, they'll have more meetings until they decide if they want to be a new, bigger family."

"And I don't _have_ to get adopted, right?" Harry asked again, looking up at her with wide, curious eyes.

"That's exactly right," Lydia said softly.

"Okay," Harry said. "I'll go to the meeting."

Lydia beamed at the small boy and kissed his cheek, causing him to blush. "You'll enjoy this meeting, Harry," she promised gently. "Jack's parents are very nice."

Harry froze. "Jack's parents?" he asked uncertainly, twisting the hem of his shirt in his hands. What if Jack told them about his freakiness? What would he do then?

"Yes," Lydia continued, seemingly unaware of his plight though in reality she was watching his movements carefully. "They adore all the children at the orphanage. If you ask Sam and Dean, they'll tell you about her infamous chocolate chip cookies. One bit and they melt in your mouth."

Harry smiled nervously at Lydia who stood up from when she had knelt to talk to her and held out her hand. He grabbed it without hesitation and offered Jack, who had been standing at the doorway the entire time, a wary look. When Jack smiled warmly at him, he very slowly returned a fraction of it, still unsure of his opinion of Jack. The man certainly seemed nice enough, but he could expose Harry. He could tell everyone in the orphanage that he was a freak and they'd give up on him like the Dursleys did. The thought of Sam and Dean hating him for being a freak almost made Harry cry, but he quickly shook his head with new resolve. They would never find out.

Lydia led Harry out of the orphanage while Jack placed someone else in charge during their time away. She smiled as she noticed the car already waiting for them. "It's been ages," she said as she hugged the man that turned off and stepped out of the car. "How've you been, Matt?"

"As good as can be," Matt replied with a smile. He noticed Harry and offered the boy a warm grin. "Hello there. I'm Matt Bentley; what's your name?"

Harry hid behind Lydia and offered him a shy smile. "Harry Potter," he mumbled.

Matt's smile widened, his mind filled with thoughts on how cute and adorable the young Potter was. "How old are you?"

Harry scrunched up his nose slightly. "My birthday passed so I'm seven."

"Seven?" Matt asked in surprise. "I thought you were older, little man. You seem like such a big boy."

Harry flushed heavily and muttered his thanks. His heart was pounding fast, not used to someone complimenting him or even taking him into consideration. There was something about Matt that drew him in and he couldn't help but feel somewhat comfortable around him.

"Alright Lydia, Harry. Jamie is going to take care of everything while we're gone and we should leave now if we wa—oh! Matt…" Jack had been walking down the steps of the orphanage, flipping through the open backpack he currently had in his hands when he looked up and saw Matt. The color drained from his face and his emotions flashed in his eyes, telling all of his surprise, hurt, and uncertainty. Matt offered Jack a soft, almost wistful smile.

"Hello Jack," he murmured gently, causing Jack to shiver slightly as his name came rolling off his ex-fiancée's lips.

"Um, what are you doing here?" Jack managed weakly.

"Your mother invited me to lunch," Matt replied with a tiny grin. "And then Lydia just so happened to call and ask for a ride to the very lunch I was attending."

Jack glanced at Lydia, who had on her best angel face, and frowned at her before rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "Sounds like a conspiracy," he muttered to himself.

"What was that?" Matt asked.

"Oh nothing," was the immediate response. "So, how's this going to work out?"

Lydia smiled widely though her eyes were tinted with some underlying emotion. "I call backseat with Harry. I'm pretty sure Matt brought the book I asked, right?"

Matt nodded his head and Jack looked like he'd been slapped. He swallowed thickly before nodding his consent and taking in deep breathes to control his wild emotions. His mother and Lydia were definitely conspiring against him and he couldn't help but pout. Why didn't they understand that Matt was just a touchy subject that he didn't really feel like approaching now that he had such a huge responsibility fall into his lap? The world was just cruel and unfair.

Harry seemed to notice the tension in the air. "When will we go to Jack's parents' house?" he asked quietly, hoping he wasn't yelled at for breaking the silence.

Matt offered him another smile. "Right now, as a matter of fact," he said to Harry.

As soon as everyone loaded into the car and Matt started driving, an awkward silence once again fell upon them. Harry looked anxious, wringing his hands together and glancing between Matt and Jack. Lydia noticed this and quickly grabbed the book Matt had conveniently left in the backseat. She smiled at the cover, running her hands over it lovingly before speaking to Harry.

"Would you like me to read a story to you, Harry?" she asked.

Harry looked at her nervously. "I don't want to be a bother," he whispered.

Lydia smiled widely at him. "You'd never be a bother, silly," she said as she poked his nose, seemingly admonishing him. Harry flushed. "This story, Harry, is called _Matilda_. You know the book you were reading? _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_?"

Harry nodded his head happily. "I really like that book," he said as his eyes sparked with excitement.

"The man who wrote that book also wrote this one," she said as she showed him the cover. "Do you want to know what _Matilda_ is about?"

Harry nodded his head. "Yes, please."

"Well, _Matilda_ is the story of a girl whose parents were very mean to her." Harry froze, his eyes widening slightly. Lydia continued, "To her parents, her brother Michael was perfectly normal and better than she was. But, one day, she discovers that she can move things with her mind. Matilda gets tired of the way her parents treat her and so she decides to teach them a lesson."

"A lesson?" Harry asked, looking at the book with interest. From what Lydia told him, it seemed like this book was practically his life.

"Yes," Lydia said, fully aware that she had captivated him. She opened the book to the first page and began to read.

As Harry paid very close attention to the book, Jack squirmed in his seat up front. He knew what Lydia had done and felt it was a fairly good strategy. Reading _Matilda_, the story of a neglected girl discovering how truly wonderful she was and deciding to not put up with her parents' unfair treatment of her anymore, was an excellent idea. He knew how parallel Harry's and Matilda's lives were and wondered how much the story would affect Harry.

Matt gave Jack a sideways glance. "How've you been lately?" he asked softly, offering Jack a small smile.

Jack swallowed thickly, feeling as if his rib cage was the reason for both his breath being stolen and his heart beating wildly. "Oh, fine," he said calmly as he stared out the window. "And yourself?"

"Great," Matt replied, smiling wryly. "Lydia told me the situation with Harry."

Jack barely caught the whispered sentence. "They have no idea what they've done to him," he whispered back sadly, shaking his head. "No idea the damage they've caused."

Matt knew Jack was referring to Harry's relatives. He placed his hand over Jack's, offering him comfort. Silently he marveled at how Jack's hand still fit perfectly under his own, warm and soft with a small scar near his middle finger. His heart missed a beat as Jack hesitantly flipped over his hand and held onto Matt's, accepting his gesture. Lydia noticed this from the back and said nothing, though a smile did bloom across her face as she continued to read to Harry.

"You're capable of helping him, you know," Matt murmured, easily driving one-handedly as he enjoyed the way his and Jack's hands were clasped.

"Matt, don't," Jack began only to be cut off.

"You have a gift," Matt continued as if Jack hadn't spoken. "The only one who doesn't realize it is you. You let your insecurities about parenthood cloud over your natural instincts as a parent."

Jack's lip trembled slightly. "He hates me. I touched his shoulder today and he stiffened up as if I was going to break his arm or something."

Matt turned to face him as soon as he stopped at the red light. "From what Lydia told me, the only reason why he's acting weird around you is because you unknowingly mentioned something that's taboo to him. That's not your fault—it's his relatives'."

Jack felt the corners of his mouth tilt a little. Trust Matt to always make him feel better whenever he doubted himself or went into a self-deprecating mood. He shivered slightly as he truly felt Matt's masculine hand over his and had to close the car window to hide that little fact. Matt's knowing grin told him that he knew it wasn't the cool air that made him shiver, but he didn't call Jack on it.

"We're here," Matt announced, taking his hand off Jack's and turning off the car. Jack couldn't help but notice how cold his hand was now.

"It's so big," Harry said as he hid behind Lydia again. "And pretty."

"Come, Harry. Let's go inside." Lydia took his hand and began to lead him away.

"And can we finish Matilda later?" Harry asked, looking up at her. She smiled.

"Of course."

Jack made to follow when Matt grabbed his hand and held him back. "Yes?"

"Have you given some thought as to what I said?" Matt asked softly.

"I…I don't know, Matt," Jack confessed, not looking at ex-lover's face. "There're a lot of things to consider."

Matt grabbed Jack's chin gently and brought it up so he could look in his eyes. "I love you," he said clearly, shaking Jack with the amount of emotion in his voice. "And you know I'll wait for you. I'll always wait for you."

"Don't," Jack murmured. "Time waits for no one and neither should you."

Matt snorted. "I'll wait for you," he repeated. "Until you're ready to look me in the eye and honestly tell me that you don't love me anymore, I will wait."

Jack watched as he walked into his parents' house, his emotions swirling inside of him in a way he couldn't comprehend. With a sigh, he followed, his mind and heart warring within, each attempting to make the decision he'd pondered for weeks.

A/N: Sorry for the über long update. I'm sure everyone knows how sadistic teachers are in their end-of-the-year assignments. That alone explains my absence. A bit of Matt/Jack action here. They make me squeal, haha. Also, _Matilda_ is my favorite book. I have a copy of it signed by Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman. I think if Harry were to read it with how his life is, it would affect him on some level. Hell, it might even inspire him. (I'll actually, when I'm done with the two current stories I'm working on, be writing a story with just that happening. Cedric/Harry slash, of course.)

Reviews welcome.


	5. Chapter Four – First Meeting

Chapter Four – First Meeting

_Jack glanced over at the shopping list in his hand and at the top shelf where the flour he needed resided. He sighed in annoyance and looked around. There was only one other person in the aisle and, thankfully, he had on an apron. Great, Jack thought. Someone who works here._

_"Excuse me," he said softly, tapping the teen on the shoulder. When he turned around, Jack's tongue nearly settled into his stomach. Flushing, he smiled politely._

_"Can I help you?" the teen, whose name tag read Matt, asked._

_"Yeah, I can't…uh…" Jack seemed to stutter slightly. "I can't seem to reach the flour. I was wondering if you could perhaps help me? Cuz, well, um…"_

_Matt chuckled when Jack gestured to his obvious height difference. "Yeah, no problem."_

_Jack's eyes took in Matt's form as he reached for the top shelf, enjoying the way his shirt rode up a little and showed a part of his back. He flushed brightly when he noticed Matt staring at him and smirking._

_"Um, thanks," he said hurriedly as he took the flour from Matt. "I'm just going to leave right now." He turned to leave._

_"Wait," Matt cried out, grabbing a hold of Jack's arm. "What's your name?"_

_"Jack Carpenter," Jack replied, still blushing as Matt scribbled something down on a pad._

_"Well," Matt said, gesturing to his nametag, "I'm Matt. And, uh, here."_

_Thrusting a piece of paper into his hands, Matt turned and quickly walked out of the aisle. Dumbstruck, Jack opened the folded paper and felt a silly grin grow on his face. There, in neat cursive, were the words, "Call me." A warm feeling in the pit of his belly traveled to his face as he stared at the phone number in his hand._

_"Yes!" he cried, doing a little dance. He walked out of the aisle and went to go purchase his items, not noticing Matt watching him walk from the opposite end of the aisle._

Matt's heart had ached when Lydia informed him of her suspicions of Harry's previous home life. It reminded him of memories he wished would be forgotten or, at the very least, recede into the dark corners of his mind. Life was just unfair sometimes and fate was cruel. Children deserved to be cherished and treated like gems. With his own past, he knew more than the average person just how much neglect can affect a child and his or her self-worth. This was just one of the reasons why Matt decided to become involved.

The other, well, Jack would avoid him otherwise. How else was he supposed to show Jack how great he would be as a father and that they were supposed to be together no matter what?

Jack entered the house closely after Matt, ignoring Lydia's questioning and somewhat smug look. He smiled at his parents, hugged both in greeting, and quickly made his way to the kitchen to pour himself something to drink. He would have preferred to drink whiskey or something of the like, but alas it was still too early for that. He rubbed his temples, sighing gently before taking a sip of the juice he served himself. The cool liquid traveling down his throat felt good and he felt himself smiling in contentment.

"Mind serving me some as well?"

Jack plastered on a small smile. "Sure," he said as he calmly lifted the jug and poured juice into Matt's awaiting cup. It was slightly awkward as they drank from their cups in silence, the noiseless atmosphere tense and heavy in the air.

"I want to help Harry out," Matt said softly.

Jack swallowed and nodded his head slowly. "I figured you would," he confessed, "considering the somewhat similar backgrounds and whatnot."

Matt smiled somewhat cynically. "Of course."

Jack winced slightly. "I didn't mean it like that," he amended. "Matt, I-I would never…"

"I know," Matt replied with a gentle sigh. "It's just still somewhat difficult to…to come to terms with it all."

Jack bit his lip. "You'll be good for Harry," he said with a semi-forced smile. "You're just what he needs."

"He'll need you, too, Jack," Matt responded. "Though Harry might be able to relate to me on some level, he also needs someone to show him all of the things he's been missing out on. The way you showed me…"

Jack opened his mouth to say something, but the words died on his lips when Lydia walked into the kitchen. She went into the fridge, grabbed a small boxed juice, and left the kitchen, winking at Jack. He quickly finished his drink, put his cup in the sink, and beamed at his friend. "I think I'll go into the living room now," he said before nodding politely at Matt.

Matt smirked at him. "I think I'll go with you," he said smoothly. "I'd like to speak more with Harry."

Jack forced a smile across his lips. "Of course."

They made their way to the living room where Harry was giggling next to Lydia. Emily smirked at her two favorite boys, a twinkle in her eyes. Beside her, Phil shook his head gently and wisely stuck his nose back in the newspaper he had been reading. Jack and Matt looked somewhat confused and sat on the unoccupied love seat.

"What's so funny?" Matt asked, to which Lydia erupted into a series of giggles.

"Oh, nothing," she said brightly. "Just Emily sharing some stories about when you were a child to Harry. Don't worry, though; it wasn't anything _too_ embarrassing."

Jack wasn't sure if he trusted her.

"So, what are we going to do today?" Trust Matt to change the subject for the sake of his comfort.

"Well," Emily said, "I was going to make clam chowder with bread. Then, for dessert, I'll be making chocolate chip cookies with Harry. In the meantime, I've rented a couple of cassettes for us to watch and I was thinking we could also play some games. Does that sound good?"

"Sounds excellent," Matt complimented.

"Harry," Lydia said, "what would you like to do first? Watch a cassette or play a game?"

"Um," Harry started, wringing his hands together, "I don't know."

"Well," Jack said. "For games, we have _Snakes and Ladders_ or we can go outside and play badminton, cricket, or croquet. For movies, we have _Alice in Wonderland_, _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_—"

Harry gasped and his eyes twinkled. "_Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_ is a movie as well?" he asked, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Yes, it is," Matt said amusedly. "Would you like to watch that one?"

"Oh, yes, please!" Harry cried, his enthusiasm contagious.

Jack smiled as Matt put the movie on. Harry smiled widely as he waited impatiently for the movie to start, practically bouncing in his seat. Before, at the Dursleys, Harry had never been allowed to sit on the couch and watch the telly. He had had chores that needed to be completed before Uncle Vernon got home and Dudley didn't want him to sit on the same couch anyways. Thinking back on his relatives saddened him a little, but Harry focused on looking at the telly. Jack's mum decided he could sit on the couch and watch a movie; he didn't want to do anything to change her mind.

Emily put the soup she had made earlier on the stove to reheat before seating herself next to her husband. She smiled at the soft, caring look on her son's face. It was merely a matter of time before Jack realized that he was _meant_ to be a parent and stopped being so stubborn. Now, Emily had no precognition or sixth sense of any sort, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that Harry was left at the orphanage for a reason. Matt already had his mind set on adopting and giving a homeless child the tender, loving care only a parent could ever truly provide. Harry was most definitely the child that would both rid Jack of his lack of confidence in his parenting skills as well as fix the rift in Matt and Jack's relationship. Emily sighed wistfully; the three of them would make such a lovely family.

Jack stood up, realizing they all were missing something very important. "Anybody want popcorn?" he asked.

Almost the entire room nodded.

"Hurry before the movie starts or you'll miss it!" Harry said enthusiastically, too excited to be timid or shy.

Jack smiled at him and nodded his head as he left to the kitchen. He leaned up to get the popcorn and placed it in the microwave. Turning to throw out the plastic covering, Jack nearly jumped a foot in the air. Matt's face had that same smirk it did when they had gone on their first date. Now that Jack thought about it, he looked pretty much the same as well.

Jack sighed as he took out the popcorn bag from the microwave. He reached for the bowl and met a familiar set of brown eyes. Swallowing slightly, he took the bowl from Matt and pretended he didn't see his ex-lover. Jack hummed a little, leaning over to smell the popcorn.

"Harry's waiting for us," Matt whispered, startling Jack with his close proximity. "Even though he's trying to hide it, I know he's impatient."

Jack forced a smile and nodded his head. Before he could leave the kitchen with the popcorn, Matt grabbed his arm and pulled him into him. "Matt—"

Matt's warm lips covered Jack's in a soft, loving kiss. Jack's lips quivered, missing the silky texture of his ex-lover's mouth. A part of him told him to pull away, to cut it off before it became too hard for him to leave later; told him that Matt deserved someone so much better than him. Another part of him, larger than the last, missed everything about Matt and clung to the offered comfort.

"Hurry up, guys!" Lydia called from the living room.

Jack's eyes widened and he broke apart, clutching the bowl of popcorn to his chest as he hurried out of the kitchen. His heart was beating a mile a minute and his breathing was a little labored, but he ignored Lydia's questioning look and passed her the bowl of popcorn. Matt walked into the living room a minute after and sat on the couch, his face betraying nothing. Jack felt horrible for just leaving, but he'd been so caught up in the moment. He just missed Matt so much that he welcomed the kiss, despite his feeling that Matt could do better. Matt deserved someone that could make him feel like the best man on the planet, that didn't make him want to cry, that could help him stay strong when his past ran to catch up with him.

Deserved everything Jack couldn't give him.

It wasn't for a lack of trying. For a while, things had been perfect. Matt was all Jack could think about and vice versa. They loved each other so much and Matt had gotten along so well with Jack's parents. Matt had turned out to be the accepting person Jack was looking for. He didn't mind Jack's magic, didn't care about the magical politics that didn't apply to him, didn't think any different of Jack as a person when Jack revealed all of his fears and insecurities. And, likewise, Jack thought the world of Matt. He'd look forward to their nightly talks, couldn't wait to spend the weekend with Matt, found the highlight of his days at Hogwarts to be opening letters from the love of his life. Everything was as perfect as it could get.

And then he discovered why Matt never revealed anything to him about his real parents.

_Matt couldn't help but shiver in fear, feeling small and incredibly helpless. He stood still, trying desperately to gain some sort of control over his ragged breath. Tears trickled out of his eyes as the dreaded footsteps drew nearer and nearer, their dull echo a promise of what would soon transpire. Matt trembled, his heart beating in his ears as he swallowed thickly and desperately prayed. And then, to Matt's dismay, his bedroom door slammed open. A sob half escaped his lips before he slapped both of his hands to his mouth._

_"Aw, Matt, don't you want to play?" the figure from the doorway taunted, blue eyes glittering coldly in the dark._

_Matt's body shook harder and he was sure he'd end up wetting himself. "Please," he whimpered softly. "Please…no…"_

_The figure loomed closer, grinning in a way that shook Matt to his core. He hated it when Michael snuck out, because when Michael got loose, Father disappeared for hours. Michael chuckled coldly. "Come now, Mattey, I thought you enjoyed our games. Aren't they oh-so fun?"_

_Matt let out a scream as Michael's hand viciously grabbed his hair and yanked him from his hiding place in the dark corner. He didn't bother trying to fight, resigned to his damned fate, and shook harder as he was brought to his knees. "Please," he pleaded once more._

_The searing pain on his back told him he wouldn't get the reprieve he requested._

_"Mattey isn't enjoying this?" Michael let out a wicked laugh and held up the black leather belt that seemed to glint maliciously in the moonlight._

_"I want Father!" Matt sobbed as the belt came down once more._

_"Too bad," snarled Michael. "It's my time now, and we're going to play our game!"_

_Matt screamed once more and not for the final time that night._

To think someone as kind-hearted and perfect as Matt would be abused as a child was unthinkable. When Matt told Jack every single heart-breaking detail of the pain he had to endure as a child, Jack cried. He cried for the childhood Matt never had, cried for the knowledge that Matt had to suffer alone for so long, and he cried for the fear that became imbedded deeply in his heart. What if he said or did something that triggered such fear and pain in Matt that he ruined everything that they had? What if being together suddenly became the problem instead of the aid in dealing with it?

Jack glanced at Matt quickly, his heart constricting before he turned his attention to Harry. The small boy seemed to be enjoying both the movie and the popcorn. He sat nestled against Lydia, his attention firmly glued to the TV. Glancing at Matt again, Jack blinked. Harry seemed to be comfortable around Matt and Matt had a strong desire to help the little boy. Wouldn't Matt be the perfect choice as a father for Harry?

Jack continued to contemplate this until the movie was over and the soup had finished cooling off. He listened as Lydia and Matt engaged Harry in a conversation about the movie, one which the young boy enthusiastically took part in. Emily smiled and commented on what a polite boy Harry was when he expressed that her soup was the best he had ever tasted, causing him to blush. Jack was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly jumped when his name was called.

"Huh?" he asked unintelligently.

Harry giggled behind his hands.

"You finished the soup," Matt said, cocking an eyebrow at Jack. "In fact, we all are. How about we go play outside and then we'll have some ice cream?"

"I've never had ice cream before," Harry said softly, feeling excited. He seemed worried that now they wouldn't give him any ice cream.

"You'll love it!" Matt said enthusiastically. "But right now, let's go outside and play. I have to work off all of this food or my tummy will get bigger."

Harry smiled and, upon remembering something, saddened somewhat. He thought back on the Dursleys and, though they hated him and wanted nothing to do with him, he still longed for their acceptance. Maybe if they never gave him away, one day they would've done just that.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Lydia asked.

Harry nodded his head and ignored his thoughts about the Dursleys. He told Lydia he'd give this meeting a shot and that's what he had to do. He had time to think about the Dursleys later.

A/N: Super, mega, unbelievably long update—I know. I'm very sorry. I got caught up in the world of _You Sang to Me_ (which will hopefully be updated ASAP) and then after September, things just happened. I had to concentrate on school and my job shadow along with my job outside of school. Yikes! Lots of things to do, lolz. Hope the new year finds everyone well and maybe this update, though it's definitely not the best thing on the face of the earth, will put a smile on your face.

Constructive criticism very much welcome. I'd love to hear what you liked about this chapter, what didn't seem right, what you would've done to make it better, etc. Thanks for reading!


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